Apparatus for ventilating mines.



- No. 653,444. Patented m I0, I900.

H.. FULLWOOD.

- APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING MINES.

(Application ma Nv. as, 1898.)

(No llodel.)

(fl/j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FULLVVOOD, OF NORTH CARLTON, VICTORIA.

APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING MINE$.

SPEGIFIGATION fQrmingpart of Letters Patent No. 653,444, dated July 10, 1900. Application filed November 26, 1898- Serial No. 697,550. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY FULLWOOD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of No. 337 Canning street, North Carlton, in the Colony of Victoria, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus to be Used in the Ventilation of Mines, of which the following is a specification.

In order to make my invention clear, I shall now refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a section of a mine to which my invention is applied. Fig.2 shows means for opening and closing the dampers, stop-cocks, or valves. Fig. 3 shows the connection of dampers with pipe on an enlarged scale.

In the drawings I have represented my invention applied to a mine having a vertical shaft and horizontal drives; but it will be readily understood that same can be applied to mines otherwise formed.

A represents a pipe which is connected at the mine-surface with any suitable means of exhaustgl g or forcing-such as a fan, blower, pump, or fh rh'ace and which enters the mine and has branches A, which proceed into the drives or other workings of the'mine. "The pipe A is provided with dampers B or stopcocks or valves set directly beneath the branch-pipe junctions, and similar dampers or the like are provided in the pipes Anear their junction with the pipe A. The dampers have spindles and weighted arms 13 Fig. 3, the weighted arms being connected with cords C and the dampers being set in such a manner that an upward pull of the cords will raise the weighted arms and turn the spindles so as to close the dampers, and a release of same will allow the weighted arm to drop and the spindle to turn and so open the damper. The cords C are provided with the necessary guides C- and pass over pulleys- .D, set within boxes E at the ground-level. The cords are thence conducted to the engineroom or other suitable position at the minesurface and pass over the necessary pulleys C and are connected with mechanism for causing a pull upon same. In Fig. 2 I have illustrated one of such mechanisms. F is a quadrant having its top provided with ratchet-teeth, said quadrant being fixed in a convenient position for operation. A lever F is centered on pin F set in such quadrant. A spring-pawl F is arranged to enter the ratchet-teeth and form a stop. The ends of the pipes are provided with covers K, hav ing adjustable doors K to control the opening into the pipe.

It is preferable in connection with my system that the foul air be exhausted rather than that fresh air be forced in, and I have found from experience that this course is more efficient. The bearings for the dampers are formed between the flanges of adjacent pipe lengths.

Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention, I declare that what I claim is-- In apparatus to be used in the ventilation of mines, in combination, a system of pipes having dampers set in the pipes near each junction of two pipes, such dampers having spindles with bearings formed by the flanges of adjacent pipe lengths, the projecting end of spindle carrying a weight, a cord attached to such weight passing over pulleys, and secured to one end of a lever whereby the dampers are operated.

Signed at Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, this 7th day of October, 1898.

HENRY FULLWOOD.

Witnesses:

O. W. WADE, A. HARKER. 

